As seniors spend more time indoors due to the several issues that plague them due to ageing, they feel isolated. With their kids toiling away in the corporate sector and grandkids at school, there can be significant danger. That is why home security for seniors is a need of the hour!
They face more significant physical dangers as well as threats from scammers online and offline. As security systems improve, so do the threat efforts.
That’s why you must take the appropriate steps to provide extra security. The following sections describe the necessity and different ways you can achieve this.
Why is Home Security for Seniors Important?
Home security should be a necessity in homes with seniors because it makes your home secure for them to live in. With the rise in elderly crimes, it is particularly important for you to be careful about their safety.
When you have the right tools to reduce the risks of break-ins and other accidents, you stay stress-free at work. Reducing the risk of significant risk to elderly individuals at home is made possible with the help of home security.
From detecting falls to alerting suspicious activity, it can do it all proficiently. Criminals often looking for low-risk and high-reward houses are what these security systems provide protection against.
Comprehensive home security systems help seniors live independently for a long and peaceful time. In addition, home security for seniors helps them live independently for a long time.
Additionally, any home hazard detection system uses smart alarms to offer comprehensive protection against any threat such as fire, carbon monoxide poisoning and even natural hazards. It is one of the best features of buying a home security system for the elderly.
It is also often noted that elderly individuals are prone to falls and injuries when left alone without support. Even if you arrange physical support, they can experience injuries that may be due to negligence. Home security for seniors will ensure you have the complete truth at any point in time.
You can access remote monitoring with the help of these security systems as you take fatal and non-fatal injuries into account. In addition, with its help, you also empower seniors to live independently in their homes.
Installing a smart home security system enables you to keep your seniors at home and not be forced to send them to assisted living homes.
Ways to Secure Homes for Seniors
Now that you know about the significance of home security for seniors, let’s look at some of the essential measures:
Secure Their Homes
With many seniors living alone or with part-time caregivers, you improve safety at home:
- Ensure that their caregiver has recently had a COVID-19 test. Only hire caregivers who respect physical distancing protocols. Select people who’ve been vaccinated. Likewise, encourage your senior to get vaccinated.
- Ensure that there are no fall hazards inside and outside the home. Remove clutter such as magazines and newspapers or unnecessary furniture.
- Create an emergency evacuation plan with your seniors and their caregiver. Install a stair climbing chair for safe and easy evacuation. There should be fire and carbon monoxide alarms installed in strategic places throughout the home and in working order. In addition, there must be fire blankets in crucial spots.
- Write a list of emergency contacts, laminate the list, and place it near the phone for easy access.
Besides these tips, consider installing a security system in the senior’s house. Unfortunately, seniors face many burglary threats during the pandemic from criminals who consider them easy targets. A camera installed on the door can enhance security.
Consider installing a camera on the backdoor and garage too. Motion detector lights are also critical because they can light up the backyard and other dimly lit areas during the night to discourage intruders. Of course, these lights can also discourage critters like raccoons and squirrels, which can tip over garbage bins and cause fall hazards.
Protect Them from Scams
Seniors face constant threats from scammers. It’s essential to educate them about oversharing information on the phone or online with strangers.
Insurance Scams:
Posing as a health care official, a criminal may contact your senior and ask for confidential information. Using this private data, they will charge a health insurance program and pocket the money.
Sweepstakes Scams:
A criminal will tell a senior that they’ve won the lottery or sweepstakes. They may even send a check to con a senior. However, they’ll ask for thousands of dollars in advance for fees and taxes. Of course, the check will never clear.
Grandchild Scam:
Posing as their grandchild, a scammer will contact a senior and ask for a private loan. The criminal may use social media information to manipulate their target.
Romance Scam:
Many criminals take advantage of lonely seniors to target them with romance scams with fake photos, videos, and phony love messages.
The fraud can go on for months. The scammer will ultimately ask for money for an emergency or plane ticket. Often, the victim doesn’t realize it’s a scam until it’s too late.
Besides educating your seniors about these scams, it’s essential to develop a strong relationship with them to protect them from scams.
Call them regularly and ask them to inform you about anything suspicious. If you suspect that your senior is the target of elder fraud, contact law enforcement and their financial institution immediately.
Wrapping It Up!
That was all about home security for seniors that can help you and your loved ones stay stress-free and safe. It is very scary to live in these times when the safety and security of loved ones is at risk.
Home security systems come in as saviours and help improve peace of mind and living conditions. This makes it safe for them to live independently and not worry about safety concerns. Even with a caretaker, they can rely on the security system to make do with the safety measures it provides.
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